10 Nanny Hiring Tips: Safely Hire a Nanny

Careful, thorough nanny screening is your responsibility, and our concern.
The internet is a fantastic venue to put families with childcare needs in touch with individuals looking for nanny work. Most nanny applicants are honest and caring, seeking only the best family match for their skills and preferences. There will be, however, some bad apples in the barrel, and even the most honest and caring applicant
may not be the best match for your family.

Before you contact applicants, spend the necessary time up front to clearly define your family's needs. The nanny you select needs to complement your family's style, needs, and expectations. We recommend you have a list of "Must Haves", "Nice to Haves", and "Absolutely Not". This will make your telephone pre-screening go much more smoothly, eliminating some candidates before the initial in-person interview. This is a tremendous time saver. Here are some tips to help you make the best choice for your children and your family.

VERIFY APPLICANT IDENTITY. Ask the candidate to show you valid, government issued photo identification. Consider making a copy for your records. A candidate without a valid photo ID is not likely to posess valid US Work Authorization and most likely cannot be reasonably background checked.

REQUIRE A FORMAL JOB APPLICATION. You can download an agency developed job application form from 4nannies.com and other online venues - you do not have to reinvent the wheel! A formal job application should include the candidate's name, address, and all phone numbers and chronological job history and educational history. Look for unexplained gaps. Ask the candidate to help 'fill in the blanks.' Ask probing questions - often gaps indicate a prior poor employment experience, but they can signal a myriad of other problems.

REQUIRE REFERENCES. Character and employment references should not be friends and family of the applicant. Red Flag: Candidate cannot or will not provide non-related references.

INTERVIEW CAREFULLY AND METHODICALLY. Consider holding your first interview in a public place - a coffee shop or fast food venue with a children's play area. This protects you (no strangers coming to your home) and the nanny (many are reluctant to meet you in your home for the same safety concerns!).

Make sure the candidate is speaking more than you are! Behavioral interviewing is a best practice. Past behavior is a reliable predictor of future behavior - really! Ask the candidate to relate her history to a particular situation. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a crying baby. What did you do? How did you feel?" Evaluate her experiences and responses against your requirements.

CHECK REFERENCES. Personally speak to all references. Verify how they know the applicant. Ask questions and wait for answers. Avoid giving verbal clues of agreement (umhum) or disagreement (really?).

SCHEDULE A SECOND, WORKING INTERVIEW. This should be at a time when you and the children are both present. Allow the applicant to observe your typical family rhythms, patterns, and interactions. Allow some time for the applicant to interact with the children independently (you observe). Pay the applicant for her time. Many a hiring mistake has been avoided by using this technique.

EVALUATE LOGISTICS. For the live-in applicant, has she ever lived away from home before? Is she mature enough for the relocation? Does your home's floor plan adequately provide for this option? For the live-out applicant, does she have a reasonable, reliable means of transportation to your home daily? NOT her boyfriend dropping her off or catching a ride with a friend!

OBTAIN SIGNED BACKGROUND CHECK RELEASE AUTHORIZATION. This begins the formal background checking process. Red Flag: If the candidate refuses to sign the consent or provide her SSN, DMV license number, and/or date of birth, move on immediately.

OBTAIN A SSN TRACE & ADDRESS HISTORY REPORT. This is part of the 4nannies.com basic background check. This provides all names and addresses associated with this Social Security Number over the last 7 years as known to the credit bureaus.

FINALIZE BACKGROUND CHECKING. Best practices are to search criminal records under all names and in all jurisdictions as reported by the SSN trace. Consider including Driver's License History, sex offender registry and National Criminal Records Locator (a database) checks.

Final Advice

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. Don't worry that your spouse or coworker might think you are paranoid. If your gut says there is something wrong, move on to other candidates.

WE STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST HIRING CANDIDATES FROM ABROAD. In general, a family should assume that a foreign applicant does NOT have US work authorization and cannot be background checked until it has been proved otherwise.

And lastly, if this entire process overwhelms you consider obtaining the professional services of a reputable nanny placement agency (NannyNetwork.com to find local agencies). The experienced agency professional will bring a wealth of practical experience to the table, a tremendous asset for time-starved, inexperienced nanny employers.

(Selecting the best nanny placement agency is topic for another blog post!)